How to reduce server response time
Speed1 min readFixes 2 checks server-response-time, host-ttfb-vs-peers
When the server takes over 600 ms to answer, nothing else can start. Caching, a faster host or a CDN fix most cases.
Step by step, with screenshots: Choosing a WordPress host by measured TTFB, not by reviews →
Check your own site
Runs these 2 checks and the other 185, free, in about 45 seconds.
What a passing site looks like
- Server response time: passeswarning · −2 ptseffort M
- Speed against other sites on your host: passesinfo onlyeffort M
1. Server response time
Why it matters. Lighthouse flags a first byte slower than 600 ms. Caching and hosting fix this for most CMS sites.
How to fix it.
- Enable full-page caching (WordPress: WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, WP Super Cache; or your host's server cache).
- Use a CDN and keep database queries out of the request path.
2. Speed against other sites on your host
Why it matters. Comparing your server with other sites on the same host shows where a slow first byte comes from. When most sites on the host answer faster, the host is not the limit; slow plugins, missing page caching or an undersized plan usually are. The numbers are anonymous, from sites we checked, and appear only once a host has 50 sites.
How to fix it.
- Turn on full-page caching first; it removes most of the server's work for repeat visits.
- Profile the slowest plugins or database queries (Query Monitor on WordPress) and remove or replace them.
- If the site is already cached and lean, ask the host for a larger plan or move to a faster one.